The Perfect Job: Is There Really Such a Thing?

What would you expect your perfect job to offer you and be like on a daily basis? It really starts there, because you need a starting point to get moving in the right direction.You are going to have to search within yourself in order to know what types of jobs you are best suited for, so let's look at some things you can do to determine what you want (and what you don't) in your next job.Take a personality test. Have you ever taken one of these tests? If not, you should really think about doing this - if you expect to get close to the perfect job you have to do some self-evaluation and know how to set some expectations for your next job based on your personality profile, so dig a little deeper. There are many websites that can help you with this, so try to make this your first priority!

Evaluate what went wrong with your last job. What reasons made you leave your last position? It could be any number of things - whatever the reasons, evaluate why they don't work for you and figure out if you need to make some changes to better yourself in the process. Once you have figured this out, you can think about what you want in your next job, which brings us to how to go about that.

Determine your ideal company, industry or position. What needs to change for you to be happy? Maybe it's even a combination, but being able to say "I love being a data analyst in the banking industry" will tell you that it's the company that you don't like, not your position. Knowing this will help get you moving in the right direction and let you know what needs to change. The last thing you want to do is make a career change and find out you actually did like your old job, you were just in the wrong industry or not at your "ideal" company.

Make a list of pros and cons. Write down all the things you think would be great to have in a job on the pro side of your list and write the most unsuitable aspects on the cons side. Your list should be as detailed as possible so that you can get a deeper picture of your ideal position. This means learning about your personality type, how it plays into potential job opportunities, and looking at the many different facets of a job in order to evaluate it. Make sure to cover things like:

Do you like your current job or are you looking for a career change? Knowing your direction is key.

How does the office feel to you? Could you see yourself going there on a daily basis? Maybe you should look at what makes you feel good at home and how that may pull into your professional life. You may not be meant to work in Corporate America - and that's okay. There are numerous small businesses out there that need your help. You may even find that you should start your own small business

How far are you willing to commute? This is all preference. If you find a really great job, but it is a long commute, there may be other ways to travel there that are more accommodating. Perhaps you could make better use of your time by riding the train and being able to get some reading in or using your laptop to take care of some personal business on your way to work.

What type of boss can you work with? There are many management styles and it may be good to do a little research on yourself to figure out which works best for you. Some people can handle being given a lot of direction and some want to figure it out on their own. There is nothing wrong with either way, but make sure you are a good fit with your boss before taking a position by asking some questions in the interview that will help you learn more about their management style.

What types of personalities do you work well with? Make sure to know where you fit into a team or a company's culture. Maybe you need to work with many different types of people, or maybe there are certain types of people who you have not worked well with in the past and you feel it would only impede your job productivity. It is perfectly fine to be honest with yourself and feel that way.

Really put deep thought into the above questions because it will help you delve deeper into who you are.

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With all of that said, the answer to ultimate question is, no, there is no perfect job. But you can get really close to perfection by keeping a positive, open mind to better yourself and to find what works best with your personality.

How do you determine if a job is a good fit for you?

Andy Von Kennel is the co-founder of TruYuu, an online service that helps people present themselves as more than just a resume to employers. You can connect with Andy and the TruYuu team on Facebook and Twitter.